Auerstadt 1806 - Refight with Empire

For your consideration, a very picture heavy report on our refight of Auerstadt in 1806 between Marechal Davout's corps and the bulk of the Prussian army under the King and Duke of Brunswick.  Historically a shocking victory for the heavily outnumbered Davout, though at a heavy cost in men.

Our game arose from my desire to get most of my 1806 army on the table and Paul's willingness to prepare a corps from the French "glory years."  After a few months of prep, we were ready to throw down.  Rules are our favorite, Empire by Scotty Bowden which some of us have been playing in various editions for 40 years.

The French will be arriving here, marching from
Bad Kosen to Hassenhausen.  Believing they will
fall upon the Prussians facing Napoleon elsewhere
that day.

Hassenhausen up on the ridge with select
other villages represented.  I expected most
of the fighting to occur hereabouts. 

Some Prussians would start on table, the bulk would arrive
on or near this road.

Prussian Advance Guard under Blucher and a column
under Schmettau advance during Grand Tactical movement.

Our Advance Guard with 4 Hussar regiments and 4 battalions.

Gudin's Division arrives and marches across terrain that 
is cosmetic in effect.

A long way to Hassenhausen, but at least no Prussians in sight, right?

We lumber into sight of each other.  Infantry MEs had to be
on Maneuver orders, the cavalry could be a bit more aggressive.

Schmettau was headed for town, with his attached cavalry
brigade swinging left.

Contact!

The leading Hussars charge as the French calmly form square.

And are broken on a small chance roll!

The French cavalry arrive after being delayed while stealing horses.

Wartensleben slowly advances.

Gudin's Division takes a beating from the Prussian cavalry but hangs on.  As a special rule, Davout could attach himself after Grand Tactical movement to any ME within range to reflect the fact he was everywhere that day.

Morand's division arrives and takes the right flank.

The Advance Guard holds off the French light cavalry, but
are stymied.

A greatly reduced Gudin.

Okay, I got lazy as the Prince of Orange and the Duke of
Brunswick hit the table.

The last French division arrives, with some fatigue as they
have been force-marching all morning.

French, ready to take the fight to the enemy.  En avant!

From the look on my face you'd think we were losing.

A daunting number of Class I French cannons.

The Prince of Orange edges into view as the Advance Guard
decides it is safe to come out of square.

Wartensleben advances on the Prussian left since Schmettau
is pretty chewed up.

Prussian Gendarmes and Garde du Corps.

The three battalions and guns on the left are all that remain
from Gudin's Division.

The French all seem to drift to the right and start to get in
each others way.

Blucher leads the Advance Guard in a Break-off to rest, rally
and recover fatigue.  This clears the way for the Prince of Orange.

An effective but slow advance on the French right.

Crunch 'n munch time as both sides take losses.

The Prince is engaged, making short work of Gudin and the
fatigued French light cavalry.

Wartensleben bends, but does not break.

Kind of sums up much of the day.

The door begins to swing onto the French flank.

Schmettau and Wartensleben have been seriously hurt
but the Prussian infantry holds on.

Blucher rests and recovers some fatigue and half of a
previously routed unit.  They will ride to the left.

And so, after two sessions Davout conceded the field to the Prussians, who were too battered and slow to mount an effective pursuit.  In eight real hours we played six hourly rounds which for the number of troops involved is pretty dang good.  Six players on Saturday and five on Sunday had a unique experience marching, maneuvering and reacting.  All told a satisfying experience.

Finally, from my 200th anniversary reenactment experience at Jena in 2006 (on the French side).

Red Tide, Coming in Waves!

 No, not an ecological post on the ocean, but a report on our recent Empire (V) game where the armies of Prussia and England combined to take on corps of Danes, Austrians and French in 1813.  Empire of course is a game intended to allow individuals to play the role of corps commander but still enjoy the finesse of battalion level play.  A move-counter move system where command and control are critical to reacting to the changing situation on the battlefield.

A view from the Prussian deployment end.

And then from the Allied table end.

Initially the Prussians in four "brigades" were tasked with
holding the river line, which had no effect on movement.

The allied starting position, with terrain to deal with.

Contact!  The O'Reilly Chevaulegers charge, and charge
and charge...

At the end they had obliterated two battalions caught
unprepared, and broke a hasty square.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, the British arrive on the Danish
flank, who quickly redeploy to face them.

Elsewhere, the Brandenburg Hussars defeated a Danish 
regiment.

The Austrians now arrive to engage all of von Bulow's corps.

The British, led by the Foot Guards, begin the inevitable 
evisceration of the Danish infantry.

The Danes, all crack troops in this game, mass to assault
Yorck's boys.  The Prussians have a Landwehr regiment,
a crack regular regiment, and a Reserve regiment pictured
top to bottom on the right.  The Hussars are shot in the flank 
and quickly flee.

Likewise the O'Reillys were shot in the back and routed away.
But a major force is coming, with the French not far behind.

The combination of hot dice and the powerful British ratings
become a buzz saw ripping great holes in the line.

The Austrians, noting the absence of Prussian cavalry, deploy
into line and begin musketry duels along the front.

Move and counter-move as the Austrians open an avenue
for the French infantry.

Prussian Landwehr hold the center against veteran Austrians.

Danish cavalry forces a "square" that is cannonaded.

The second British division, under Graham, awaits their
opportunity for blood-letting.

A protracted firefight develops in the center with losses
given and taken, but no change in position.

A crushing mass is gathering against the Prussian right.
Blucher joins the fight.

As the British cavalry moved to turn the flank, a division of
previously unknown/unseen cavalry appears and sabres clash.

The crack(sic) Danes press the gap between the British and
Prussians.  A reservist regiment takes up the challenge.

Blucher orders the second division under Yorck to redeploy
to the right.  They comply as the fighting rages in front of them.

In the next hour, the division takes up position to thwart
the French turning action. 

The Danes are valiantly resisting the British onslaught
but it is only a question of time.

The British come to the support of the Prussians and eliminate
the threat to the gap between armies.

The heroic 14th Landwehr regiment not only hold off the
Austrian lines, but even win a melee against a column.

Superior tactical deployment kept the British at bay for a
time but the way is now clear to the allied army rear.

The right-most Prussian "brigade" is shattered, but a 
breather will result and the new troops are fresh.

The French are some distance away for the moment.

As von Bulow's corps is reduced, the Landwehr grudgingly
retire from the edge of the creek.

And the game came to a close.  We originally scheduled many more hours for play but the French suggested we end it.  The Danes were shattered, but von Bulow's corps was also in desperate straights.  The arrival of Yorck's second brigade would stabilize the situation on the Prussian right though.  The game served as a brutal reminder of how tough the British are when they get to fight on their terms and there is no tomorrow.  While the foot guards won the action on their side easily, they wouldn't be a factor for the battle tomorrow with the losses they took.

Till the next one: Vorwärts!